President Joe Biden unveiled a new advertisement in Georgia this week, making bold claims about the accomplishments of his administration. However, the president’s claims to have addressed the supply chain crisis and lowered the prices of drugs and utilities may not stand up to scrutiny.
In the 30-second video, a narrator claims Biden “got to work” by “fixing the supply chains, fighting corporate greed, passing laws to lower the cost of medicine, cut utility bills, and make us more energy independent.” However, recent reporting reveals the supply chain crisis continued as recently as May, utility bills rose over last year, and the costs of most drugs increased in January.
In May, Reuters highlighted shortages of machine parts and cements as evidence the U.S. supply chain remains strained, though “healing,” since the pandemic, with an analyst describing supply chains as suffering from “a long-term hangover.” In June, an analysis published by Forbes warned recent positive indicators may “mask the underlying vulnerabilities that persist” to the supply chain, warning that “factory shutdowns and port issues could resurface with any global shock.”
Similarly, while provisions aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs were included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, they were limited to individuals enrolled in Medicare. Meanwhile, in January of 2023, pharmaceutical companies raised the prices of 450 medications by about 5 percent.
Americans were also warned to expect higher utility bills this summer, as CBS News reported in May that the typical American power bill was expected to rise about 2 percent when compared with 2022. Despite wholesale power costs lowering, the Energy Information Administration explained the savings “may not be apparent in retail prices until later this year or in 2024.” The executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association added to CBS News that utility companies “are rebuilding their grids, which is expensive,” further chipping away at potential savings.
The ad was released as part of a $25 million ad buy aimed at battleground states, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported it will be the first political ad of the cycle to run during an NFL game, with time purchased during Thursday’s season opener.
Biden’s ad will also run in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Nevada, and North Carolina and nationally on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, according to Capitol Beat. A separate ad that credits Biden for a “manufacturing boom” began airing on Labor Day in Arizona.
Biden became the first Democratic president to win Georgia in nearly 30 years in 2020, but polls remain uncertain of his chances of securing a second victory in 2024. One Democratic poll conducted in June showed Biden had the support of 48 percent of Georgia voters in a hypothetical 2024 rematch against former President Donald Trump, who polled at 52 percent in The Peach State.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Joe Biden Ad” by Joe Biden.
